Transcript CS TA Orientation

Fall 2011
A new year begins!
Introductions
 Faculty
 Dr. Ken Calvert, Chair
 Dr. Raphael Finkel, DGS
 Dr. Jurek Jaromczyk, DUS
 Staff
 Jennifer Doerge, graduate records
 Dee Fuhs, payroll / finances
 Paul Linton, systems manager

[email protected]
TA Supervisors
 Dr. Debby Keen, CS 101
 Mr. Paul Piwowarski, CS 115
 Dr. Brent Seales, CS 215
 Dr. Ken Calvert, CS 221
 Dr. Mannivanan, CS 275
 Others for graders as determined by need
Try to keep your balance!
 You have a teaching job, classes, research and a
LIFE!
 How do you balance it?
 TALK to your supervisor AND your advisor if you
are getting overloaded
 Schedules can be adjusted with some notice!
Class / Section assignments
 Rules for changing assignments are online
 Tell Dr. Keen what you want to change TO, not just
what you want to change FROM
 Write down what sections are changing and who
else is involved
 Both people sign the request
 MUST be done before first day class meets
Observations / Evaluations
 Every TA is observed by a faculty member every
semester (usually their supervisor)
 Every TA is evaluated by their supervisor at the end of
every semester
 The TA gets a copy of each form and a chance to
respond to it
 Copies are kept by TA, Dr. Keen, DGS and Graduate
School
 PLEASE help us by making sure your form is filled out
and signed by the end of the semester!
Grad School Workshops
 Every full-time TA goes to two during
the semester
 Make SURE you sign attendance
sheet
 Go to MORE if you like! They’re free!
Peer Observations
 Experienced TA paired with new TA
 New TA observes experienced TA before their first
class/lab
 Later in the semester experienced TA observes new
TA
 After each observation, TAs meet to give feedback
 Final report to your supervisor
Useful Information
 Code for Xerox machine – 08980 – ABET copies
- machine in 773 FPAT
 TA page www.cs.uky.edu/~keen/tas/tas.html
 PLEASE do not give this URL to
anyone!!
More Useful Information
 TA mailboxes are in 773 Anderson Hall
 Dr. Keen’s cell phone number is 576 5949
 All TAs should KEEP ALL emails sent to them by
students and all emails sent to students, at least
until final grades are done
 Make sure your University account is set up and
that your supervisor has an email address for you
I-9 forms
 If you are a new TA or
 if you have been off the payroll for a while
 See Dee Fuhs as soon as possible to get back on
payroll!! They need a new I-9 form
Your class schedule
 If you are a returning student, you should have
already registered for classes – if not, then do it
NOW!
 If you are registered, please do not make
changes unless absolutely necessary
 If you make a change or have made one in the
last few days, TELL Dr. Keen NOW!
Last Day of the Semester
 Last day of the semester – Monday December 19 –
AFTER Finals Week!
 We hope we’re finished sooner than that, but don’t
make plans until after 12/19/11
If you have to miss…
 If you know that you are going to miss a
 TA meeting
 Class meeting
 Exam proctoring
 Exam grading
 Let your supervisor KNOW about it! Even if you
have it covered, they need to know! In advance if
possible but even after the fact!
Food / Drink policies
 PLEASE enforce in the labs!
 Keep everything below desk level and
in their packs unless they are actually
using it
 Don’t have bottles, even capped, sitting
next to a keyboard!
Busy this semester!
 Enrollments are up in several classes
Dress Code?
 Several people asked, so…
 General rule “don’t be distracting”
 The students should be paying attention to what
you are saying, not how you look
Pay attention to the poor
performer!
 Case at end of last year – attendance form not filled out
 Short-term lesson


Accuracy is important
Using the forms is important
 Long-term lesson
 Caring about the students and
 SHOWING them that you care!
 Documenting how you are communicating with them
Academic Alert!!
 Program to alert students and advisors to 'risky'
behavior of students
 Missed Classes (at least 2-3 in the first weeks)
 Habitually Late (more than 10 minutes on a regular basis)
 Homework assignments not completed or of inconsistent
quality
 Poor performance on tests or quizzes
 Disruptive Behavior in class
 Other
Academic Alerts
 101 and 115 will do this this semester
 With some additions
 Now the alerts are sent through the IRIS system - it
automatically mails the student!
 I ask the student to see their TA and to see me
 Give them your personal attention!
 In classes besides 101 and 115, ask your supervisor
Help Students Stay at UK
 www.cs.uky.edu/~keen/tas/tips-to-help-students.html
 Say hello when you see students on campus
 Positive feedback when a student improves or does
well
 Timely feedback
YOUR OFFICE HOURS
 YOUR Office Hours - BE there!
 They will be in the Multilab or in the RGAN lab,
scheduled in the next week or two
 Students can show up at any time! Not just the start
of the hour
 Try to help every student who asks, even if they are
not in your section or even class
 Even if more than one TA is scheduled for a time, it
is your job to be there
Contribute!
What’s next?
 101 TA meeting M 10 am - FPAT 773C
 115 TA meeting M 2 pm – Marksbury confer.
 221 TA meeting M 2 pm - Marksbury?
 215 TA meeting M 10 am Marksbury 102G
 TAs assigned to other classes – contact your
supervisors for instructions
 Graders – wait a few days for decisions of
assignments
Something Fun!
 The Kentucky State Fair opened yesterday! through
August 28
 Lots of food, rides, exhibits
 Inexpensive - $10 per adult (not including rides)
 See a lot of Kentucky in one place
 Louisville State Fair Grounds – just an hour away!
Something else fun!
 Woodland Arts Fair
 This Saturday and Sunday
 At Woodland Park
 200+ vendors, food, music, crafts
 Award winning, largest outdoor arts event in
Lexington!
Ending Activities
 Take Pictures – Ismail Abumuhfouz,
Zhiyu Li, David Moore, Tom Allen,
Mehmet Ascigil, Manish Sapkota, Sami
Taha, Drew Duncan, Ahmed Ibrahim,
Xiwei Wang
 Supplies – pens, folders, textbooks
 Night TAs – laptops, syllabus